How to Have a Good Day: Harness the Power of Behavioral Science to Transform Your Working Life pdfdrive com

ASK A REWARDING QUESTION
Many studies have found that it’s easier to rise above unpleasant situations when
we’re in a positive frame of mind.
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 But how are you supposed to stumble upon a
positive frame of mind when you’re troubled by something at work?
That’s where 
rewarding questions
come in. They give your brain a reward of
some kind—not a fleeting treat like chocolate or booze, but the more profound
kind of boost we get from learning something new, feeling competent, or having
a sense of purpose. By helping you tap into these three classic sources of
motivation, rewarding questions help you get back into discovery mode, where
it’s easier to see how to jump the mental hurdles in your way. Try the strategies
below, and see what works best for you next time you’re feeling worn down by a
situation at work.
“How Fascinating! What Can I Learn from This?”
I’m sure you’re familiar with the satisfaction of stumbling upon an “aha”
moment, or the guilty pleasure of hearing a juicy piece of inside gossip. I’ve

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mentioned before that our brains find it rewarding to learn new things. That’s
why one of the best questions you can ask yourself when something has gone
wrong is:
“What can I learn from this?”
In fact, I’ve seen scores of executives make good use of the advice of
orchestra conductor Ben Zander, who suggests going a step further. He famously
counsels musicians to throw their hands in the air and say “How fascinating!”
when they make a mistake in their playing, before asking themselves what they
can learn from the experience.
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The phrase helps to remind them of the potential
joy of discovery, even if they often find themselves accompanying the
exclamation with a wry smile and muttered epithet.
What did Bartek choose to find fascinating in his Olympic fiasco? “I learned
to recognize that even though I’m a worrier and a planner, circumstances will
always surprise me. I need to accept that I can’t know or predict everything.
That’s quite refreshing.” He also took away some more specific lessons from the
experience. “I realized that I could have contacted caterers in previous Olympic
cities to ask how things had worked out for them. It’s a lesson for the future: I
can do more to draw on the experience of others, rather than always trying to
work things out for myself, which is my tendency.” Fascinating indeed, and
useful, too.